Thirteenth Darkness
by Foreteller Ava
Summary: Xehanort goes to the Realm of Darkness to recruit his final seeker. [Spoilers for KH3]


It had been a week since the man had left her alone on the beach. He'd left to go farther into the Realm of Darkness, but Aqua had stayed. She knew, deep down, she'd never see him again, but she was happy to have found the beach. It was empty, and she knew it held no way back to the Realm of Light, but it was safe. It's proximity to the Realm of Light kept the Heartless at bay. And so she rested her travel weary legs, she slept without fear of being attacked by an army of Shadows, and she waited for the boy, Sora, to come.

A noise sounded from behind her, and Aqua bolted upright almost immediately, Master Keeper returning to her hand. She turned around, pointing the blade at the corridor of darkness forming now in front of her. "Take another step forward, and you'll regret coming here." It could've been help, but anything using those dark methods of transportation wasn't likely her friend. She knew that.

"Is that anyway to treat an old friend?" The voice was dark, but familiar, and out stepped a man with silver hair and golden eyes in a long black cloak. Despite him calling himself a friend, she didn't recognize him. "I thought you'd appreciate the lengths that I was going to reunite us at long last."

She didn't trust him, but she lowered her Keyblade. "Who are you?"

"You really don't recognize me? It's me, Terra." Aqua winced immediately at what he said. He did look like Terra, but…

" _I messed up. Xehanort is a part of me."_

"No, you're not." She raised the Keyblade back up once more. "Terra told me. He said that Xehanort was a part of him, so you're not Terra, you're Xehanort!" She prepared herself to fight whatever form of Xehanort this was, determined to bring back her friend. But instead of summoning any weapons, the man laughed.

"You're right about that. Xehanort is a part of my heart, but there is also a part of my heart that is Terra." Xehanort reached out a hand to Aqua. "I would never want to fight you Aqua. I want to rescue you from this cursed place, so you can be by my side in the Realm of Light."

She didn't trust him, she didn't believe a word of it, but a small part of her couldn't ignore the temptation of finally being free. And maybe if she was by Terra…she could break him free from Xehanort's control. She gripped at her Wayfinder and took a step back. "You say that there's still a part of Terra in you…are you Terra, or Xehanort?"

"What does your heart say?" And for once…she didn't know. Was it the fact that her heart was so weakened by the darkness that had surrounded it for so long? Or was it the fact that she didn't want to hear what it was saying. Because she was scared to be wrong.

"It…it doesn't think you're Terra, but I do think Terra's still in you." Aqua looked to Xehanort. "You promise I'll be free from the Realm of Darkness?"

"You have my word. When everything is done you'll be free from this place forever." Her heart didn't believe a word of what he was saying, but she was tired of fighting. That was why she'd stayed on the Dark Meridian on the first place, because she wanted to have a break. From the Realm of Darkness. From the fighting. He was promising her that. And she could still bring back Terra, and maybe the two of them could go find Ven.

"I'll go." She took a deep breath, grabbing Xehanort's…Terra's…she still wasn't really sure, hand. And suddenly a wave of exhaustion hit her the likes of which she hadn't known for a very long time.

" _Aqua! No!"_

" _Quiet, at least now you and her can be together, forever in the darkness you both fought off for so long."_

Unable to process what was being said beyond that she heard Terra's voice, and unable to fight the spell that Xehanort had cast, Aqua found herself falling into a deep slumber.

* * *

When she had first woken up back in the Dark Meridian, she was no longer concerned. She could leave the Realm of Darkness at any time, she understood that idea quickly, but the Realm of Darkness didn't feel nearly as much like a hell as she'd initially assumed. In fact, she'd had a purpose here, one that Xehanort had left her behind to fulfill. She couldn't be running around in the Realm of Light after all. If all the pieces were going to be set to summon the war, then Mickey and Riku had to play their part in coming to the Realm of Darkness. A rescue attempt wasn't what they'd be getting though, but that wasn't her problem.

All that she had left to do was wait, and sooner or later, they would come, and she'd be ready for them.

* * *

 **There are some things I don't like about this, but meh, I'm overall satisfied.**

 **So...about that KH3 trailer...? :3**

 **Edit: This should go without saying but if you are a reviewer, especially an anonymous reviewer: DO NOT REVIEW TO TELL ME ABOUT THE PHANTOM AQUA THEORY. I KNOW ABOUT THE PHANTOM AQUA THEORY. I'M ON THE FENCE ABOUT WHICH THEORY IS CORRECT AND HAVE JUMPED ON AQUANORT BECAUSE I PREFER THE THEORY BUT EITHER ARE POTENTIAL. I get it y'all are unhappy but don't try to act like I don't know. I'm in the fandom too. Just leave me to enjoy my Aquanort writing in peace.**

 **Thanks for Reading!**

 **~Foreteller Ava/Nicole Peach**


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